Campaign contributions

This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Pennsylvania in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[1]

Year

Number of candidates

Total contributions

2012

55

$26,589,797

2010

53

$20,772,005

2008

65

$29,456,144

2006

63

$22,233,800

2004

52

$18,023,643

2002

53

$19,135,990

2000

49

$10,724,732

During the 2010 election, the total contributions to the 53 Senate candidates was $20,772,005. The top 10 contributors were: [2]

2010 Donors, Pennsylvania State Senate

Donor

Amount

Pennsylvania Republican Party

$1,232,940

Volpe Jr., Charles J

$690,659

Students First

$365,000

Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters & Joiners

$342,650

Pennsylvania Association for Justice

$296,200

Senate Republican Campaign Cmte of Pennsylvania

$293,903

Friends of Dominic Pileggi

$282,650

Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association

$270,000

Electrical Workers Local 98

$248,000

Templeton Jr., John M

$154,500

Incumbency

The incumbent did not run for re-election in 3 of the 25 seats up for election in November.

3 incumbent Democrats faced a primary opponent (Districts 4, 8 and 32) and no GOP incumbents faced primary opposition, which means that in the 22 seats where an incumbent sought re-election in 2010, only 14% of those incumbents had a primary challenger.

Democratic incumbent LeAnna Washington had a primary opponent but no Republican was in the race in November.

Qualifications

Under Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State) and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.

List of candidates

Partisan dominance in state senates heading into the 2010 state legislative elections